What was supposed to be a chance to let loose for a bit, to show Olivia that things aren't always going to turn into another episode of the many true crime podcasts and shows that she listens to, becomes just that. By the time the girls notice the headlights following them too closely, they're already up in the mountains on a road with no traffic and no phone signal. Doing their best to stay one step ahead they can't help but ask themselves who the men in the truck are, and why are they terrorizing them. As the situation grows more dire, it's looking like the best course of action is to try and tackle the wilderness on foot, but if the men in the truck don't catch up to them first, the coyotes or the dropping temperature just might...

I love a good thriller, especially one that is set across the hours of one day or night, something about knowing that when the sun rises, it'll be the end, whatever that may look like for the characters, really adds to that sense of suspense for me. When I came across this one, it gave me vibes from the movie Joyride from 2001, so I had relatively high hopes for it, and it really didn't let me down, if anything, it pleasantly surprised me. I had been having a bit of trouble with my reading since the middle of last year, and this is the first book that I've come across that I could not put down. I finished it in roughly a day and a half or something ridiculous (at the moment for me it's ridiculous), so it really gave me some hope that all it takes is a super engaging story to get me back to my normal reading habits.

This story follows the events of one evening, friends Lauren and Olivia are in Lauren's sister's beat up old volvo and heading into the hills for a party. Olivia isn't too keen as she has devoured more than her fair share of true crime stories which really bolsters her anxiety around 'anything can happen' though in her mind, it'll never be good. They notice the headlights, but don't think anything of it because it would make sense that there are other's heading out to the same location. It isn't until the truck starts to behave aggressively that the girls get worried and realised that they are in huge trouble. So I guess you can look at it and say, yes, there are some cliche things here such as: two college girls driving alone at night in an unreliable car, up into the mountains where it's relatively secluded and there's likely to be no traffic, and of course, there's no cell phone signal either, because of course; the thing is though, none of these cliches made me roll my eyes, they were used brilliantly and really helped to create a hugely suspenseful, story that grabbed me by the throat and just would not let me go. Even though there were these cliches here, I still found myself having no idea what was going to happen next. That to me denotes a great story teller. Being able to use tried, tested and true tropes, yet having it not be boring and stale, is a master stroke.

The plot was engaging, and as said before, and absolute page turner that I couldn't put down. Has this type of story been done before, yes it has, but that does not stop this story from being absolutely amazing in it's own right. What started out as a stereotypical night of terror for two college girls in a car in the mountains, soon ballooned out into something so much more sinister and horrifying than I could have imagined. I think what also made this story so much more suspenseful and terror inducing is the fact that, this is something that could and probably does happen to more people than we are aware of. Taking something so simple and being able to make you realise how real this scenario could be, is the mark of a true writer to me. Being able to induce fear into the reader from something so mundane is genius and really shows Ihli's ability in her craft.

The atmosphere and suspense that Ihli is able to build in this story is some of the best that I have seen in recent times for me. My heart was in my throat for the majority of the book and as said above, I literally could not put it down. And when you've been stuck unable to finish a book in less than a week like I have, this was a godsend and an absolutely amazing experience for me. I devoured this book, the suspense never dropped and the pacing stayed quite high and fast for most of it. Even when the pacing did drop a teeny tiny bit, which honestly wasn't really noticeable, the suspense never dropped at all. I finished this book in two days, at the most, and I don't think I can describe how happy that made me. To know that I am just going through a tough patch at the moment and all it takes is a well written nail biter to pull me back to myself, is oddly comforting.

The characters were well written, and that says a lot considering that there's a cast of four characters, and two of them we don't really get to know or see much of as they are the assailants chasing down and terrorizing the two female leads. So being able to have such a tiny cast of characters for roughly 95% of the book, and being able to write these characters well really lends credit to Ihli's abilities as a writer. I really loved the characters of Olivia and Lauren, they're so real and four dimensional. Olivia's anxieties that are exacerbated by her love and need to devour anything true crime, really endeared her to me for some reason. And the friendship between the two was written beautifully, and I feel really illustrates the best kind of people in a crises as well as the bonds of true, loyal friendship. I was terrified for these two women and I was rooting for them at every turn.

This was an absolutely enthralling read, it's formula was so simple, but it was executed brilliantly. Ihli was able to take stereotypical tropes that we see in college age suspense and thriller stories, and create something fresh and riveting. The slow decent into the wider atrocities that were happening was fantastic and a stroke of brilliance. I am keen to see what Ihli does next and I'll definitely be keeping my eye on her releases! If you love a good nail biting, suspenseful ride where you genuinely don't know what is going to happen next, give this one a go. It was my favourite read for March.

Run on Red by Noelle W. Ihli was great fun! A thriller on wheels! I felt so lucky to get a copy for myself! I have shared on my goodreads, bookstagram, and booktok!

The beginning of this book was action packed but fell apart quickly after that.

There was not enough character development to care about either of the MC as I didn’t know much about them at all.

There were inconsistencies throughout the book and I was confused what year this book was supposed to take place in since MySpace was mentioned several times.

The storyline was good and kept my interest to some extent but overall it fell flat for me.

When I read the summary of this book, I immediately wanted it because it reminded me of No Exit by Taylor Adams, which I LOVE. But this thriller was just not as good. I give it three out of five stars. I appreciate that it starts the action right at the top, that we're just in it, full of adrenaline, getting freaked out. But it falls apart! It starts to get steadily more and more outlandish and ridiculous until you're just reading it with a kind of weird look on your face like, "wat." Also, authors - please research how much physical pain and injuries characters can sustain. I'm so tired of people getting basically run over by a Mack truck and then running from people an hour later with nary a limp.

This was an amazingly tense read-it-one-sitting-if-you-have-stamina thriller. Will be looking for more from this author!

I initially requested this book because the hype was so strong. Everyone was talking about it. I should have known better.

This one although it is fast paced, had many timeline mistakes. The character was using a phone that wasn't even invented yet. A search website that had already closed and then mentioned another website that had started just 2 weeks prior to the books dates. I honestly feel like this book was first written in the current timeline (2020's) but then they switched it later.

It was fine, it held my attention and I finished it, i don't know that I would try anything else by this author as the research should have been done before hand.

I thought this book was boring. I couldn’t concentrate on what I was reading. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open because this book was putting me to sleep. It just wasn’t for me at all.

This story is action packed from the first page where a couple of college students are heading to a party and get chased, ambushed, stalked, and captured. It kept my attention, and I read it in one day.

Well…. Their first mistake was taking a junk car that barely functions, has a missing window, and unreliable seatbelts out into a desolate wooded area at night. Ohh with barely charged phones 🤦🏻‍♀️

Really ….. also I found Olivia kind of unbearable.

Aside from these few things that made me grind my teeth into nubs, this was a pretty intense story. I was totally captivated and couldn’t put it down once I started. Definitely give it if go, but just be prepared to scream out loud at some of the characters as Laura & Olivia definitely make some questionable choices in the fight for their lives.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Dynamite Books for a copy.

A gripping, fast-paced thriller.

Run on Red kept me on the edge, rooting for the main characters and wondering what was coming next. Liv and Laura are relatable and smart, young adults in college, going to a social gathering only to get caught in a trap. Things go from bad to worse and Liv has to make dangerous choices in an attempt to save herself and her best friend from a couple of unexpected attackers.

Quick and suspenseful, I will definitely recommend this one to friends who love thrillers.

Run on Red is a heart pounding thrilling chase of cat and mouse on a lonely stretch of highway. Each decision they make is of utmost importance.

However, I did question the part where, after the girls are reunited, why did they stay and chat instead of just run?

This is a gripping thriller that fans of No Exit will love. I was captivated by the characters and the plot from the outset. The writing is stunning and I adored this book.

I had super high hopes for this book. The beginning is fantastic, a fast paced thriller that had me wondering what would happen next. Then, it all kind of fell apart for me. Perhaps better suited for a short story, this tale lost a little of its luster at the midway point. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This had me hooked from the very first page and was nonstop action the whole way through! It has great parts however, I felt like it dragged. It was overly descriptive But some people love that.

This book grabbed my attention from the very first line, which I really appreciate from a book. I feel like it was dragged out a bit, but it is a solid thriller and a quick read. ⭐⭐⭐

Intense, fast read! Laura and Olivia are headed to a party when they realized their car is being followed. But why, and who? Taking place over the course of one night, this has twists and turns that will keep you engaged!

Thank you Netgalley and Dynamite Books for the ARC!

Thank you to Dynamite Books, LLC and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have only one regret with this book and that's the fact that I didn't read it earlier. The moment I started reading this book, I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to finish it in a day but mommy duties were calling so it took me the better part of two days to flip to the last page.

From the first paragraph to the last, this nail-biting book kept my rapt attention. True crime fan Olivia and her best friend Laura are on their way to a bonfire when they notice a truck closely following their Volvo lonely road that doesn't have any cell signal.

Soon enough they find themselves running for their lives and fighting for survival on a lonely cabin out in the middle of nowhere. They recognize one of the masked assailant's voices but they couldn't put a face on him. They have to keep their wits about in order to survive their ordeal.

This is a story about survival and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Fast-paced, just how I like it.

This book was INTENSE and incredible. Realistic scares, believable heroines and well written, I definitely read this in one sitting.


Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC.

4 Stars ~

After reading a previous book by Noelle W. Ihli and giving it 5 stars, I knew I had to give this a read too. And it was great. Run on Red was suspenseful and kept me at the edge of my seat, so to speak.

If you love feeling your heart race in anticipation, this is a book for you.

Olivia and Laura are on their way to a university party bonfire when they are run off the road by two men in masks. One of their voices sounds familiar, but they can't really pinpoint who it is. Why are they doing this and will they survive?

I loved the reference to a 'choose your own adventure' novel, but it was repeated quite a lot throughout.

And as someone who watches a lot of horror films, I found myself getting all frustrated at some of the girl's choices. Pretending like I would do better in their situation, which I most definitely would not.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this as an ARC, in return for an honest review.

I had such high hopes and was so disappointed. This was so incredibly slow for me and played out like a low budget lifetime movie. I skimmed several pages just forcing myself to push through given all its hype.